How to Estimate the Value of Your Items

If you are planning to move to another location, you should consider estimating the value of your belongings for insurance purposes. This is one way to protect yourself in case your items get lost or damaged during the move. Insurance companies will ensure that they will shed out as little money as possible to cover for damaged or lost items. To make sure that you will be getting the right amount for your belongings, you need to estimate the value of your items before the move.

This is an especially important tip if you have a number of valuable things in your possession that need to be moved to your new house. As much as possible, you need to move valuable items yourself to avoid problems such as lost or damaged items. You can transport some small valuable items yourself that you can fit in your bag or in the trunk of your car such as jewelry pieces, small art pieces, important documents, and other valuable items that are not too bulky and heavy. You should let the moving company transport large items like that grand piano in your study or that large antique armoire in your living room, but make sure that you estimate their value.

Here are some important things that you need to know when moving valuable objects and estimating their worth for insurance purposes.

You need to make a list of all the things that you are planning to transport to your new place. You can get a pen and paper or you can create a spreadsheet using your computer or smartphone. This will help you keep tabs on your belongings and their corresponding value.

You need to do the inventory after getting rid of all the stuff that you do not want to bring, like old clothes that no longer fit or your kids' old toys. You should also do this when everything is in their respective boxes. You can make an inventory for each box. Keep a copy for yourself and paste another copy of the inventory on the box itself. This way, the moving company will know the contents of each box. You should also make an inventory of large objects like furniture pieces or large furnishings that cannot be kept inside a box.

You need to determine three different values for each item, especially the valuable ones. The first category is the value of the item when you initially purchased it from the store. If you no longer have the receipt or if you can't remember, you can just make an educated guess. Another category is the current value of the item if you are going to purchase one from a store. The third category is the value of the item as is, or how much you will get for the item if you are going to sell it on eBay or in a yard sale.

If you are not confident about the information that you have gathered, you can always ask an expert or an appraiser to assess the value of your goods. For example, if you want to know the value of a piece of jewelry, you can go to a local jeweler and inquire about the value of the jewelry. For antique furniture, you can go to an antique seller and ask how much your antique furniture is worth. Values of modern things like gadgets and clothing can easily be determined by doing a quick Google search. Take note of the information and details that you have gathered for future reference.